Ball-swaging machine



No. 748,612. PATENTED JAN. 5, 1904. A. JOHNSTON.

BALL SWAGING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED mn. 2s. 190s.

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No. 748,612. YIA'IBNTED JAN. .5, 1904-.

A. JOHNSTON. BALL vSWAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 26. 19.03.

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m: Noams PETERS co, Pnm'nuwo.. wAsmNtfoN u c PATENTED JAN. 5, 1904. A. JOHNSTON. BALL SWAGING MACHINE. APPLIoATIoN FILED MAB. 26. 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

Patented January 5, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

ALLEN JOHNSTON, OF OTTUMWA, IOWA.

BALL-SWAGING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming partl of Letters Patent No.` 748,612, dated January 5, 1904.

l Application iiled March 26, 1903. Serial No. 149,712. (N modem The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine` for rapidly swaging balls on their dierent axes after they have been shaped into spherical form, thereby truing, condensing, and hardening the same.

A further object is to provide a machine `which will be automatic in its operation, the

balls being automatically fed to the dies one after another and automatically discharged therefrom after the dies have operated thereon for a predetermined time, these operations being repeated ad infinitum without necessitating action on the part of an attendant or operator.

These objects are accomplished and other `advantages attained by machines constructed in. accordance with my invention, one embodiment of which is shownby way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a front elevation with parts broken away and in section.

Fig. 3 isan end elevation from the right of Fig. 1. Figs.

4 and 5 are sectional views through one pair of dies and the block in which they are mounted. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a part of the feed-bar whichserves to feed the balls toV and discharge them from the swaging-dies.l

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through a part of `the machine on line 7 7, Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a` sectional view through the driving-wheel and its clutch mechanism, and Fig. 9 is a detail of the shoe which throws the clutch mechanism out of operation.

1 is the principal framework of the'machine, supported ona table 2 and comprising an obliquely-disposed plate 3, Fig.v7,having a longitudinal rib 4 extending entirely across the machine, on which ribare mounted the Fig. 2 is an end elevation from the left of Fig. 1.

several blocks in which the swaging-dies operate,as presently described.

5 is the main shaft of the machine, provided with two eccentrics 6 6, Figs. 1 and 7.

8 is a reciprocatory slide or carrier extending across the front of the machine and working at its opposite ends in slideways 9. It is reciprocated by eccentrics 6 through two pitmen 10 10 and carries the upper or movable dies of the several sets of swaging-dies.

Ten sets of dies are shown in the drawings; but as they all alike a description of one set will suffice. 11 is a'block having iianges 12 and 13, which bear,respectively,against the upper and lower edges ofthe rib 4, as clearly shown in Figs. The block is secured in position by means of screws 14 14 and has a countersunk slot 15 in its front face through which the operation of the dies upon a ball may be observed, the slot of course being considerably narrower than the diameter of the balls. The lower or fixed die 16, having a hemispherically-recessed face, is socketed and fixed in the inner end of plug 17, which is screwthreaded into an opening in the block 11. A plunger 18, working in a central opening in the plug 17, carries a pin 19, adapted to be reciprocated in and projected through an opening through the xed die 16 to dislodge the ball incase it sticks in said die and to cause the ball to change its position in the dies in the manner hereinafter described.

20 is the movable die, socketed and fixed in the inner end of a sleeve 21, adapted to reciprocate'in an opening in block 11 At its upper end sleeve 2l is screw-threaded into au opening in the frame 8, the screw-threaded opening being formed in part in a cap 22, securedto said frame by screws 23 23, Fig. l. Sleeve 21 is securely clamped in the desired position by tightening-screws 23 to cause cap 22 to tightly grip the sleeve. Plunger 24, working in sleeve 21, carries a pin 25, working in a central opening through fixed die 20 and adapted to be reciprocated in and projected `through said openingto disengage the ball from the upper die in case it sticks thereinlff 26 is a ball feed and ejector barv extending entirely across the machine and common to all of the sets of dies. It is located partly in -8 by connecting-bars 56 56.

a longitudinal groove 27 in the rib 4 and partly in a transverse groove 28 across the under faces of blocks 11. Said bar 26 carries a roller 29, working in a cam-groove 30 of wheel 31, whereby itis reciprocated back and forth to discharge swaged balls from the dies and to feed unswaged balls thereto, as presently described. It has at one edge a series of notches 32, Fig. 6, one for each pair of dies, which notches in the normal position of the ball are brought into alinement with the several sets of dies, which latter work in the notches, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.-

The balls to be swaged are conveyed to the dies through tubes 40, which are open or slotted at one side, so that the passage of the balls therethrough can be observed by the operator. There is a tube 40 for each set of dies connected at its lower end to an opening 41, l Aintersecting groove 28 in block 11. The lowermost ball of the column of balls within each tube 40.bears against bar 26 when said bar is in its normal position. Conveyer-tubes 40 connect at their upper ends with a ball-hopper 45, through which rock-shaft 46, having delpendingagitator-arms 47,extends. Said shaftis oscillated, by means presently described, to

move the agitator-arms 47 (of which there is' one for each conveyer-tube 40) back and forth over the opening leading from the hopper into the tubes, the purpose being to insure proper -feeding of the balls from the hopper into the tubes.

The plungers 24 and pins 25, carried thereby, are operated upon each upward reciproca- -tion of plate 8 by studs 50, screwed into plate 3, the heads of the studs being respectively located in recesses 5l in slide .8. Heads of these studs lie in the path of plungers 24, so that the upper ends of said plungers strike vthe studs upon the upward movement of the frame 8, thereby projecting the pins 2O through the upper or movable dies and dislodging the balls incase they stick in and are The plungers 18 and their pins 19 are 0perated upon each upward movement of the frame 8 'through the following mechanism: 55is a bar extending across the front of the machine below block 11 and joined to frame Two bolts 57 57, secured in ba'r 55, project upwardly and pass loosely through a parallel contact-bar 58. Springs 59 59, interposed between bars 55 and 58, act to normally hold the bars separated by -pressing the'l bar 58 upwardly into contact with the heads of 'the bolts, but permitting itto be moved," toward bar 55 when the tensionot thesprings is overcome. lare located at oppositesides of the frame of the'machine and normally held in the positionfshown in Fig. lby at springs 61 61. Upon'jupward movement' of the frame 8,

`531e:arr-ying with it 'the bars 55 and 58, the latter 65 j'before coming into contact withv the lower ends. of the plungers 18 of the several sets of dies is engaged at its opposite ends by a shoulder 62 on each dog 60, thereby forcing bar 58 ldownwardly against the bar 55 and compressing the springs 59. AUpon further upward movement of the parts, however, each en d .of bar 55 engages an incline 63 on the dogs 60, moving them outwardly ou their pivots against the tension of springs 61 until the shoulders 62 on the dogs are removed from the path of the bar 58, thereby releasing said bar and permitting the springs to move the same upwardly into contact with the plungers 18 by a quick stroke, the eect of which is to discharge the ballsfrom the lower dies, throwing them upwardly in the space between said lower die and the then uplifted upper die. In rolling back along the inclined surface of theV wall of the opening in block l1 (which constitutes a ball-retaining wall or inclosfire) to the hemispherical recess in the lower die the balls turn over several times, coming to rest in the lower die in a dierent axial position to that occupied upon the previous stroke of the dies, so that for each stroke made by the latter the balls assume a different position.

I will now describe the power mechanism for operating the several parts of the machine, the means for automatically and intermittently throwing the slide'carrying the movable dies out of operation and for intermittently throwing the feed and ejector bar into operation during the intervals when said dies are not operating.

is a driving-wheel loose on shaft 5 adjacent to a disk 71, which is keyed to said shaft, Fig. 8. In order to connect the drivingwheel 70 with shaft 5 to operate the dies through mechanism already described, I provide the following clutch mechanism: 72 is a spring-actuated clutch-bolt housed in the hub of wheel 70, the tension of the spring tending to normally engage said bolt in a notch or recess '73 in the adjacent face of disk 71, thereby lookin g these parts together, and hence driving the shaft 5. It is necessary, however, to arrest the operation of the movable die members in discharging swa'ged balls from and feeding fresh unswaged balls to the dies. To effect this, means are provided for throwing the clutch-bolt out of engagement with the notch in disk 71 at the proper time and to hold it in its retracted position until the Aejecting and feed movements of the bar 26 have been completed. As shown herein, this means comprises a'shoe 80, carried at the upper end of a rod 81 and acting to move the clutch-bolt out of engagement-with the notch in disk 71, and a detent 84, acting to engage and hold the clutch-bolt in this position for a proper period of time. Shoe has a concaved edge 82, adapted to bear against the peripheral surface 83 of the disk 71. When the shoe is withdrawn from contact with disk 71, the curved edge 86 thereof is brought to such position as to engage lug 87 on the detent 84 as the latter rotates with wheel 70, thereby withdrawing said detent IOS IIO

from engagement with the lug 85, freeing thel bolt for engagement with notch 73, thereby g again locking wheel into engagementwith;

the shaft 5. Prop'ermovement is imparted tod'the shoe 80 through its rodSl by the following mean's:The` forked end of an arm 90 Ishaft 92 (which extends from one side of the machine to the other) by means of aset-bolt A95. f1 AA tooth 96 on the free end of arm 94 nor-A .its

mally (during the operation of the dies) bears upon the smooth peripheral surface of the 'flange 97 on the wheel 31, the tooth being4 Acaused to bear upon this flange throughthe; `1tension of spring `98 around rod 84, Figs; 3, and '8, said spring bearing at one end against a bracket 99, secured totheframework, and

at its other4 end against a collar 100, lfixed on said rod. The tendency of this spring is to` lift the shoe into position `to disengage thel `clutch-pawlfrom'the disk 71; but this move-` mentis impossible so long as the tooth 96 bears against the peripheralsurface of the liange 97; but, as shown `in Fig. 2, said flange iscut awayat 1 01, so that `when the tooth 96|` drops into the space thereby provided the spring 98 throws the shoe up into position'to` throw theclutch mechanism out of operation. It remains out of operation until the rotationl of Wheel31` (in a manner presently described) brings the inclined end 102 of the iiange 971 `into contact with tooth 96, again moving said tooth up onto the peripheral surface of the f flange, im parting a corresponding movement the -shaft 92, 'arm 90, Aand rod 8l sufficient to withdraw theshoe "from the' position ini whichit prevents engagement of `the clutchbolt with the notch indisk` 71.

Wheel 31, which, as we have seen, not only controlsthe operation of the` clutch mechan` ism, but eects the operation ofthe feed and ejector bar 26 by its cam-groove 30, is intermittently rotated through the following connections: A rock-shaft105, extending from one side of the machine` to the other, has at one end an arm 106," carrying a. roller 107, which bears against the inner eccentric surface 108 of the flange ofwheel 70, so that upon each rotation `of said wheel an oscillatory `movement isl imparted* to the shaft through the roller and arm. At its otherendishaft carries an arm 109,*whi`ch hasa pawl 1101 pivoted to its outer end andengaging ratchet-` teeth 1111 to intermittently rotate wheel `31.I 4The `rod 109 in the position shown in Fig. 2 is at the limitof `its movement in onedirection, the ratchet 110 having just` dropped into engagement with one of the teeth.l As the wheel 70 rotates `it acts on the roller 107 to move arm 109 and its ratchet toward the `rigl`1t,`the wheel 31 being rotated in the same ldirectionl a distance of one tooth. This intermit-tent movement of the wheel 3l coneach rotation of said wheel.

tinues, of'` course, so long aswheel 170 is rotated and also during the timethat theclntch mechanism is thrown outofopera'tion.

-An arm `112,Figs. 2and 3, on the end of face of the flanged Wheel 70 to oscillate said shaft and its depending arms in one direction, movement in the opposite direction being effected by springs 113.

shaft 46bears against the eccentric inner sur- The operation of the entire machine,briey 11 described, is as follows: As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the clutch is in position to connect wheel 70 withshaft 5. Consequently a stroke is imparted to the upper die members upon After one or more such strokes, during which the wheel 31 is -advanced (from the position shown in Fig. 2) in the direction of the arrow, the tooth 96 drops od the peripherial surface 97 of wheel 31 into the space j101,"the effect of whichis tolthrow the clutch out of operation in the manneralrea'dy described," the operation of these parts being so timed thatthe upper die members will come to restin an elevated position, such as shown inFig. 5, the balls being held 'up outof the hemispherical recesses in the lower` dies by plungers 18 and their pins 19. Thereupon the cam portion of groove 30 in wheel 31 comes into operaton upon roller 29 to move the feed and ejector bar 26 "(Which carries with it in its notches the swaged balls) tothe left, Figs. 1,4, and 5, until the swaged balls are finally delivered to the dischargeopenings`115, formed partly in each of the adjacent edges of the blocks `11. In this discharge movement of the bar the presence of the swaged balls'in the notches prevents the,A `lowermost unswaged balls in the tubes 40 from dropping intof said notches; but upon the return movement of said bar to the right the lowermost unswaged ball in each tube drops into its appropriate then empty notch of the bar and is delivered to the proper set of dies. Thereupon the inclined end 102 of the IOO flange 97 of wheel 31 operates upon the tooth 96 of arm 94=`to release the clutch mechanism, again throwing the 'sWaging-dies into operation, said operation continuing until the `clutch is again thrown out of operation in the vcombination with dies for acting on the balls,

means actuating one of the dies `and subject- `ing each ball to a plurality of strokes, and

means for intermittently changing theaxial position of the ball with relation to thedies during themaking of said plurality of strokes. 3. In a machine of the kind described, the

combination with dies for acting on the balls, j means actuating one of the dies and subject-y ing each ball to a plurality of strokes, and automatically-operating means for intermittently changing the axial position of the ball with relation tothe dies during the making of said plurality of strokes.

4. In a machine of the kind described, the

combination with dies for acting on a ball byA a plurality of strokes, automatically-operat' ing feeding and discharging means for delivering the ball between the dies and for removing it therefrom after it has been acted;

upon, and automatically-operating means for intermittently changing the axial position of the ball with relation to the dies.

5. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with dies for acting on the balls, means actuating one of the dies and subjecting each ball to a plurality of strokes, autoing each ball to a plurality of strokes,.and

means operating in conjunction with each die and after each stroke of the dies'to disengage the ball therefrom and to change the axial position of the ball in the dies before the next succeeding stroke.

7. In a machine of the kind described, a

lower and an upper die, a ball-retaining wallr v or inclosure around saidV dies preventing escape of the ball when the dies are separated,

a plunger associated with the lower die, and means automatically operating said plungerl to disengage the ball from the low'er die and throw it upwardly in the space within the ball-retaining wall or inclosure while the dies are separated after each stroke thereof.

8. In a ball swaging and truing machine, the combination of two dies, actuating means reciprocating one of the dies and subjecting each ball to a plurality of strokes, automatically-operating means for intermittently arresting the operation of said actuating means after a plurality of strokes of the dies, and ball discharge and feed means operating automatically while the die-actuating means are at rest to discharge the ball acted upon from the dies and to deliver another ball thereto.l

9. The combination with dies for acting on a ball, a hopper for balls to be acted upon by the dies, and ball-feeding means for delivering the balls one after another to the dies and for discharging each ball from the dies before the next succeeding ball is delivered thereto from the hopper.

10. The combination with dies for acting on subjecting each ball to a plurality of strokes, a hopper for balls to be acted upon by the dies, and ball-feeding means for delivering the balls one after another from the hopper to the dies and for discharging each ball from the dies before the next succeeding-ball is delivered thereto from the hopper. l

11. The combination with a yplurality of sets of dies for acting upon balls, and means common to all of the sets acting by one movement to introduce balls between-the dies and by another movement to removethe -balls after the operation of the dies.

12. The combination with a plurality of sets of dies for acting upon Aballs,-afballfeed and ejector bar common toall of the sets-'of dies, and means automatically andintermittently operating said bar to vboth Vfeed balls to and eject them-from the-dies.

13. The combination with a pluralityr of sets of dies for acting upon balls, a ball-hopper, a ball passage or tubeleading from said hopper to each set of dies, and vball-:feeding `means consisting of a movable bar having openings therein and common to all -of rthe sets of dies, said bar working in proximity to the sets of dies and to the ball-passages, and means automatically operating said bar to simultaneously deliver a ball from-each of the ball-passages to the sets of diesfrespectively.

14. Thecombination with a plurality of sets of dies for acting upon balls, a ball-hopper, a ball passage or tube leadinglfrom said hopper to each set of dies, and ball ejecting and feeding means consisting ofa movable bar having openings therein and common -to all of the sets of dies, said bar working in proximityto the sets of dies and t0 the lballpassages, and meansautomatically operating said bar to simultaneously deliver a ball from each of the ball-passages to the sets of dies respectively.

15. In a machine of the kind described, the combination `with dies for actingona ball, ball feeding and discharging means consisting of a reciprocatory bar having an openingl therein acting upon the feed movement of the bar to receive a ball from a ball-supply passage and to deliver it between the dies which in acting upon the ball operate in the opening whereby said opening acts upon the discharge movement of the bar to withdraw the ball from between the dies and deliver it to a discharge-opening,.and means for automatically imparting said feed and discharge movements to the bar.

16. The combination with a plurality of sets of dies, for acting upon balls, a ball-supply passage or tube leading to each set of dies, ball feeding and discharging means consisting of a reciprocatory bar common to all of the sets of dies and having openings therein, one corresponding to each set, acting upon the feed movement of the bar to receive balls balls, means actuating one of the dies and from the corresponding ball-feed tubes and IIO to deliver them between the dies which in acting upon the ball operate in the openings In testimony whereof I have signed this specieation in the presence of two subseribro whereby said openings act upon the discharge ing witnesses.

movement of the bar to withdraw the balls from between theidies and deliver them to discharge-openings, and means for automatically imparting said feed and discharge movements to the bar.

1ALLEN JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

THos. RODGERS, W. S. HOGUE. 

